Little Bird
by Pengus Swan
Summary: "You know, Urbosa used to refer to me as her 'Little Bird'...funny that I now be blessed with a literal one." After Ganon is sealed away, the journey's just beginning. Between reestablishing an entire country and coping with loss, a child was the last thing on their mind. Such changes were unexpected. However, adaptation was their specialty. (M for dark themes in later chapters.)
1. Chapter 1

The monster's cry echoed into the aether, yet no longer could be heard by mortal ears.

They stood for a few moments, almost expecting the thing to climb back out jump at them. Though, no such thing came. It was done. The nightmare was over. The monster had been banished beyond the veil, and the threat of destruction lingered no more. It would be a while before the scars of a hundred years would heal. Even if he hardly remembered her, he still felt empathy towards his companion. The loss was far harder on her than himself.

On one hand, he supposed he was was glad for that. On the other hand, he envied such feelings of nostalgia, even if it meant great pain.

Unbeknownst to the pair they were not alone. Five spirits watched, and five spirits longed for time, yet none were given that wish. One by one, each disappeared from the mortal plain. Starting with the tallest woman, then the man of stone, followed by the girl in red...then last two were reluctant to go; the archer and the dead king. The king wore an unreadable expression as he looked to the other. He could not tell if the former king was disappointed in him, but he knew what he had done. Guilt grew in his heart, yet he could do nothing now...so slowly he turned, before finally fading away. Soon the king's spirit disappeared as well, leaving the survivors in peace.

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 _ **Little Bird**_

 ** _Chapter 1_**

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She'd been acting strange lately. Some days she would be sick, then she would be fine in an hour. Sometimes she'd get tired and fall sleep in the middle of something. He knew it wasn't normal yet she insisted that she was fine. He was supposed to be the stubborn one, and it was irritating to find the shoe on the other foot. His initial concern evolved into worry, and he finally convinced her that they needed to see a doctor.

The Rito Village was the closest, so they made their journey there. Zelda was given some food and rest, and in return, Link went around doing various tasks for the village residents. He fetched deliveries for various shops, gathered some more stock for the general clerk, and assisted the fletcher in making arrows and repairing bows.

Now as night fell Link took this time to relax by the lake. He sat near a crackling campfire, a juicy salmon roasting over the open flame. He caught it himself, the fish had beached itself when crossing shallow waters and Link dove right after it. It was hard to keep his grip on the fish, but the mouth-watering scent told him it was well-worth the struggle. He reflected on the previous weeks. They visited every corner of the map to reestablish political ties and work toward recovery. There wasn't much difficulty with it at all...in fact, everyone wanted to work together for a brighter future.

They weren't going to bother messing with the castle, it took far too many resources to be worth much. Perhaps later they could rebuild old castle town, when the country's populace desired it. For now, a growing port town along the Faron sea handled foreign shipments, and served as a trade hub. The castle was really only a meeting grounds for foreign and domestic powers alike, something to gather to and let other lords speak with the Queen.

Queen, how odd that she was rightfully the Queen now. It did make sense, it was just strange for him to see the girl he'd come to know as the young-hearted princess, become a strong-willed Queen. She's earned the right of wielding the triforce of wisdom. Even possessing very little in the eyes of other kingdoms, the personal blessing of the goddesses was well respected.

He removed the spit from the fire before taking a large bite into the plump critter. The smokey kick and fatty flavor was satisfying, especially after how much time he spent cooking the darn thing. He ended up scarfing it down, hours of work gone in a flash...not that he actually minded. A hungry man he was, a master of savor he was not. It was an eating habit that Zelda scolded him for in the past.

He stripped the fish down to the bones before picking his teeth with it idly, lazily watching the nighttime critters go about their lives. A few nocturnal fish leaped out of the water to snatch some of the gnats just above, which in turn were occasionally nabbed by a passing hawk. The cycle of nature he supposed.

He heard fluttering from above, the soft beating of feathered wings far larger than the small birds of prey he'd been watching. He looked up, the familiar pink hue clued him in on his visitor. He recalled Teba's wife, Saki, having that distinct coloration. He left Zelda within her care as apparently she took up the profession of village physician. She was the one with the most medical knowledge in the village, and it was hard to find a doctor that was well-versed in Rito anatomy.

She landed on the soft sand with ease, and Link stood upon her arrival. He assumed she was here to inform him of Zelda's condition. Her voice was hushed though not overly urgent, but it was still there. "I would like to speak with you as soon as possible, but not out here. Please, accompany me back to the clinic."

 **-0-**

He was lead to an isolated cottage built on another rock formation. The wooden bridge, along with the clinic, was made sometime in the past couple months, and it was as sturdy as any of the other structures. The speed and grace of Rito construction was quite impressive.

Inside the small clinic was cozy, with smooth, wooden walls, a small window, and dim lights that hung from the ceiling. There were three beds, only one of which was currently occupied, and each was stuffed full of soft feathers.

Interestingly, while the rest of the village was very much open-air, the clinic was enclosed. Perhaps it was just easier to keep patients warm this way?

Saki motioned for him to take a seat, which he did. They weren't much more than pillows littered against the walls, but he didn't mind. On the bed lie a sleeping Zelda whom wasn't _obviously_ ill, so what could have been the problem? Then again, that might have _been_ the problem.

He looked to the Rito expectantly, who made sure to close the door before talking. "Are you two a couple?"

That question came out of nowhere. Regardless, he shook his head, seemingly used to the assumption.

"Well...She's pregnant."

His eyes widened at the news, and she continued "All the signs are there, so I used an incantation to confirm a few of my suspicions."

"You use sorcery?" The woman was full of surprises, it seemed.

"Ritual sorcery on occasion. I'm no master but I understand instructions, and I do not attempt intensive magics. I pair supernatural and traditional practices for the best results. Besides, arrows don't enchant themselves you know...but we're getting distracted."

"Yes, please - continue."

"Right...there is a simple ritual I can perform to peer though the aether. Using this, I was able to take a full glimpse at the child's soul. That soul is not a Hylian one, what I saw was a Rito's soul."

He sat forward, now clearly very, very interested.

"I'm just as surprised as you are, Ser. Typically in a hybrid relationship the child will take after the mother. There are no crossbreeds among the various peoples of the world, but there is a one-in-a-thousand chance they will take after the race of their father. This seems to be one such case, and even rarer since the royal bloodline is fickle compared to those who lack divine heritage."

"You seem to be well-informed about this subject."

Saki chuckled, "With the castle libraries no longer guarded by monsters, some of the prospectors brought back quite a trove. It's been very helpful in my pursuits, as you can see."

The knight raised a brow "...isn't that stealing?"

"How many years difference between archaeology and thievery?"

He opened his mouth to comment, but closed it again, deciding against further comment. He wanted to get back to the subject at hand "Does the Queen know about her condition?"

"Yes. She's known about it for a long time, as she's already informed me. Poor thing...she's under so much stress that I'm surprised her little one is as healthy as they are. Normally her condition would put a developing chick in peril, little guy must be really tough."

That could have been why Zelda was so stubborn...

"So will they come out as an egg?"

She shook her head "No, no...even if the chick takes after the father the pregnancy will not reflect that. She will carry and give birth as if he were Hylian. She is about three months along, her first trimester is at a close."

He nodded, stroking his chin thoughtfully. There was no one she had an affair with, not anyone he recalled anyways. They'd stuck side-by-side for the past two months...he hasn't seen-

Wait.

Saki said _three_ months. Zelda was _three_ months pregnant. They defeated the calamity only _two_ months ago. Who on the goddess's grand green earth was the father? Link sighed, he knew he'd have to lay down some ground rules regarding the situation.

"Saki, you must swear secrecy about this, at least for now. We don't want to go causing a stir about it. Write nothing on record until given explicit permission. The last thing we need is any of the Yiga to get a hold of this information."

She nodded "I understand completely."

"Thank you...this means a lot to me, and I'm sure Zelda as well."

"It's no problem, please; my door is open to you and the Queen any time. Stay for the night if you wish, but for now I must be off, I get up early in the morning and I have much to do."

"Have a goodnight then, my friend."

"You as well Ser Knight."

After their brief goodbyes Saki left them alone entirely. Zelda shifted, and Link assumed she was probably awake for the entire conversation. He learned to read small tells, and he was noticing them ever since he entered the room.

He stood up before coming over to lean against the window. He was near the bed, but still kept himself at arms-distance. She didn't make a move to look at him, but her quiet sobs were all he needed to hear. She meekly shuffled further under the blankets, wanting to hide away from the world. He was surprised she said anything at all.

"It was Revali..."

He said nothing in reply. He was never very good at these things, never good at emotional support. He tried, but he wasn't a man of many words to begin with. Even before the days of his stoic muteness he was a man of more action than words. These days he was much more talkative. But he struggled...not in findings words, but finding the _right_ words.

What should he say? What _could_ he say? He didn't have anything good to say about Revali beyond the skills that made him a champion in the first place, and anyone could tell you about that.

Perhaps at times the archer would antagonize him, but in the end Link realized that there was a lot more to his story. He never got to truly know the other warrior as a person, which was something he was regretting...

"I'm sorry."

It was hard to tell if that was directed at her, or aimlessly at someone else, perhaps even both. Regardless of the case, she said nothing about it, letting the ambiance of the night swallow somber silence.

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 **A/N**

 **Good gods finally.**

 **Spent a while trimming the fat on this one...knowing me, I probably _still_ missed something as I usually do. At least it probably has some level of vague quality, _or maybe I'm just delusional as that is equally as likely._**

 **Regardless of my crippling anxieties and insecurities about my existence as a human being, I hope you all enjoyed this...or maybe you didn't that's fine too.**

 **(Please note that the self-deprecating banter is a joke.)**

 **With that out of the way; Have a wonderful night/day dear reader, and remember that the world isn't as much of a scary place as some people make it out to be.**


	2. Chapter 2

_Greetings, Oh Majestic Queen, Zelda, of the Most Magnificent Country of Hyrule; We have sent this letter to inform you that his Grand Mightiness, Emperor Razmodeus the VII, will be sending several ambassadors from the jointed kingdoms of New Holo. We are hoping to reestablish ties that were lost during the great disaster, and perhaps build a brighter future together. We dearly hope you are ready to receive visitors._

 _~His Most Gracious Chancellor, Jaho._

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 _ **Little Bird**_

 _ **Chapter 2**_

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They received the letter only a day after the diagnosis. So, soon after, they mounted upon their horses and rode off. Link knew how to get across Hyrule in a day if he so wished, but her majesty preferred to take things easy, so it would instead take three. She would arrange for their meeting to instead be hosted by King Dorephan. For the time being it was safer to have the Zora King covering their backs.

On the outside things appeared normal to any passerby, but inwardly the ground was unstable. Wherever they walked both individuals felt like they were walking over eggshells, despite the fact that neither had a single outburst in recent months.

On the first day they simply avoided the subject altogether. The second day was largely the same, though she didn't avoid his eyes like she did the day prior. Still, she barely talked, not holding a conversation for more than a few sentences. As they passed through the various small villages she carefully avoided acknowledging the children. Though, she still tried to smile and wave whenever they were greeted. Link could tell that every encounter made her uncomfortable, very subtle hints like a slight twitch in her ear, or the slightly stiffened posture that most would miss.

Now, on the third day, the sun rose high over clear blue skies. The summer sun reflected brilliantly off the morning dew, droplets that appeared all over the wild landscape like jewels left by the previous storm. The domain was always such a pretty place. Link was very fond of its lush flora and colorful fauna. He smiled sadly to himself, though there was little time for nostalgia. Under this peaceful exterior were dangerous foes, lizard monsters who lurked in the darkest corners of these wilds.

He kept his eyes and ears focused on the journey ahead, even when they were nary disturbed. There was only one encounter. A lone lizalfols who was too busy carrying a haul of fish. While it still gave them the evil eye, Link noticed that the monsters weren't actively hostile, like when they were directly under Ganon's influence. Back then, even the most disadvantaged monster was itching for a fight. Now they chose their battles more carefully.

They were approaching the city's entrance now. There, at the end of the bridge, the prince stood waiting for them. Sidon waved to greet the traveling pair before jogging over to them, each footfall light and padded, despite his comparatively huge size. "Good to see you two! I hope the weather fared well for you?"

"Well enough." Zelda replied.

"Good to hear. I'm sure you're curious about the visitors? Walk with me, friends."

Both nodded, and the group continued across the bridge, heading towards the largest plaza which would lead right up into the palace.

"To start with; the messenger. An odd little creature for certain. Never seen anything quite like him. He's only about a foot and a half high, with two little eyes showing from the shadow of a red hood. Nothing much more you can see of his face. He didn't come alone, he brought a bodyguard. Two in fact."

"Oh? Please, tell me more about them." Zelda asked, while Link idly lagged behind. She and the prince noticed this, and they were both certain he was reluctant to cross the statue's gaze. Still, neither commented on it.

"They're both taller than the messenger. One is about as tall as Link and the other is as tall as me. The big one is clearly a zora from the New Holo region, as they look more animal-like than we do. The other is humanoid, though that's all I can gather since they're hidden under a layer of armor. The underlining is made of a material I'm unfamiliar with, and the plates are made of a metal just as mysterious. Looks similar to sheikah ancient metal, actually, but something about it is different. Maybe it's the region it was forged in? I think it's strange that only one is covered head to toe while the other barely wears anything at all. Especially strange when one is covered in such potentially expensive material."

"I would suspect that they're not just a bodyguard then."

"I had that thought too..."

They were coming up onto palace now, and with no door to conceal the room, they could see the group of foreigners chatting with the king. Indeed, the strangers were exactly as Sidon described.

The larger bodyguard looked absolutely ghastly. He had a hunched posture; his back covered in a thick armoring of scales, while his hands and feet grew wicked talons for flaying prey. His maw looked damn-near ancient as well, with razor-sharp plates fused to his face, deadly teeth that were like an extension of the carapace plating. To top off the creepiness factor, his beady eyes were void and unmoving, black orbs that were like staring into the ocean abyss itself. They didn't even so much as blink.

He didn't pay them much mind, much to the relief of the hylians.

The mysterious warrior, however, did acknowledge their presence. Their glance lingering on Link for a fair longer than the other two, before turning back to the king. In one hand they held a silver spear, which had that trademark hyrulian zora craftsmanship. Odd, considering that they weren't from around here. The larger guard had a similar spear, but the metal was black rather than silver, and the dark weapon's make was of a more alien nature.

The king held up a hand, signaling the messenger to quiet himself for a moment. "My son, I see you've brought the Queen and Ser Link. Come, take a seat! We have much to discuss..."

 **-0-**

It was many hours through the meeting when Link was released for the night. He hid himself away at the tallest point in the city, a place where he had a good view of the wild cliff-side that could be seen here. Though, it was also a good view of a mournful memorial, which brought up other unwanted memories. Pushing away those other thought he let his mind wander backwards in time, to memories that he was assured were his own, memories that he could remember so vividly when so many others were only a fog.

 **…**

He wandered away while his father was meeting with the zora royals. He wanted to explore the domain in all its exotic glory. Roads where unkempt and the plants grew chaotic and free. It was every out-door child's dream to him. He saw a crab, almost caught it, but it ducked into the coral-like underbrush and away from him. He huffed, slowly trailing up the cliff-side in his pursuit of a good catch.

He stopped a moment to rest, observing his surroundings carefully. The view up here was breath-taking, a marvel in of itself – way better than the plain old fields of Hateno, or the cold gray stone of Castle Town.

Looking down a ways below he saw one zora, she was fleeing from some sort of lizalfols. He watched as the zora grabbed a leg bone of a long-dead animal before taking a stance. She stood as well as any of the hylian knights.

She parried the first attack, the beast's rusted sword missing just a hair's distance from her cheek. Then she dodged the second strike. The creature decided to ditch the sword, instead opting to lash her with a whip-like tongue. She ducked just in time, though unfortunately it followed up with a tail-sweep and tripped her. The monster grinned wickedly, raising its weapon to give an injuring blow. Seeing this, Link quickly grabbed a nearby rock before chucking it at the monster. It slammed into the lizalfol's skull with a loud crack, and the creature stumbled back in shock. It stumbled just a slight too far and slipped, falling straight into the river below.

The zora blinked, not expecting such a stroke of luck. Had it been an accident that helped her? Perhaps the cliff coming apart and loose debris falling upon her foes? Looking up, it seemed no, that was not the case.

A little boy waved at her, a hylian boy in fact. He made an attempt to climb down, but he ended up tripping instead. He hurt himself on the way before landing near her, and the zora quickly went to help him. She was checking him over for injuries, and luckily, he didn't fall too far. The boy just sat up smiling like he wasn't bothered in the slightest. He still had a nasty bruise and a couple of scrapes, but nothing more. Still, he seemed rather tough for a child, not tearing up when he got hurt.

" _ **How did you get all the up here? You don't look much older than seven if I remember hylian age range."**_

He shrugged, pointing to the cliff where he feel from. Didn't seem like she was going to get a better answer.

She raised a brow at him _ **"I don't see or hear any adults nearby...are you out here by yourself?"**_

He nodded, giving her a cheeky grin. That look told her everything she needed to know.

 _ **"Well you're definitely a naughty thing, aren't you? You must have someone scared half to death."**_ She chuckled, before holding a hand to his injuries _**"**_ _ **Now hold still while I take care of these."**_ Before the boy could protest, a soft glow emanated from her palm. With a gentle brush of her hand the cuts sealed themselves, and the bruises shrunk to reveal no more color. The boy watched with childish wonderment, feeling a sense of true awe. He'd only heard of such magic, but he never witnessed it himself!

Once done, she pulled away. The boy stood up and tested the newly healed skin. He gave her a thumbs up, seeming quite satisfied with her work. The zora stood as well, a little bemused at the boy _**"My mother taught me.**_ _ **I**_ _ **t runs in the family. However, only females of royal blood are gifted with it, to my understanding."**_

The boy stopped, looking at her with a curious expression. He's seen the queen earlier so he knew the girl couldn't be her. The first words that came from his mouth were a surprise; very soft-spoken and careful, reminiscent of the shy nature her younger brother possessed. _**"So...you're the zora princess."**_

She nodded, _**"Indeed, I am Princess Mipha; you are?"**_

 _ **"Link...just Link."**_

 _ **"Alright then, Link, I'll bring you back to the city and we'll find your family. Does that sound agreeable to you?"**_

The little boy shrugged, he wanted to explore some more, but he supposed he ought to come back to his father. So he agreed to come back with the princess.

 _ **"Alright then. We'll take the river, and you're going to need to hold on with a firm grip. Don't worry, I won't let the river wash you away."**_ She offered a hand to him, and without a second thought he took it. Little did he know at the time, that a friendship was ignited that day, and for many days, months, and even years to come, they would remain at each other's side through the best, and the very worst.

 **…**

Back then he was just a child, and Mipha was growing through adolescence. Such memories he held a special fondness for; the innocence of youth, back when the world wasn't such a scary place. The time to reflect was a good feeling. How long had it been since he could submerse himself in such thoughts? Indeed, his heart ached with Zelda. They were both purple hearts who missed the one they loved most. She was not the only one with secrets, and there were some secrets still that Mipha took to the grave. He could only hope to figure out the important ones as time went on.

"You're easy to read when you're in one of your moods."

Link didn't reply, he didn't have much to say as the prince came to join him. Sidon continued, "You already know this, but she _was_ my sister, and she took care of me after mother passed away. I had to deal with a lot of death at a young age, I understand such pain." He paused for a moment, then the next words that fell from his mouth were quiet, treading carefully like a cautious deer "...and I know you miss her too."

"I miss a lot of people."

Sidon frowned, he knew Link was deflecting. "But you miss _her_ most. You remembered her first, didn't you?"

Link leaned forward on the glowing marble with a clenched fist. His continued silence was all the prince needed, and he put a hand on the hylian's shoulder. "It's okay to cry, Link. You don't need always play the strong hero. I know you think others have it so much worse, but you suffer in silence without reprieve. You don't need to feel shame in wanting to express such feelings."

Link moved away from his hand. "Let sleeping wolves lie."

Sidon sighed, knowing he could push the subject no further. So he simply let his gaze wander towards the setting sun, evening songs accompanying companionable silence.

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 **A/N**

 **A year is far too long. I didn't expect all hell to break loose literally a week after I posted the first chapter. I mean, I guess none of us expect our lives to be torn asunder, but it does come at you very fast.**

 **The quality of the writing might have changed, so I might need to doctor the first chapter, but that can happen later.  
**

 **For now: Goodnight and Godspeed dear readers, and always remember that the world isn't as scary as some people might make you believe.**


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